Watch construction



Jan. 18, 1938. J. E. BOWEN 2,105,966

WATCH CONSTRUCTION Filed` May 8, 1957 muur" mvEN-rR OWEN Patented `an. 18, 1938 y unirsi) STATES PM'ENT oFFicE 2,105,966 WATCH' CONSTRUCTION John E. Bowen, Akron, Ohio Application May s, 19.37, seiiai'no.y 141,478

4 Claims. (Cl. 58-107) This invention relates to watch or clock move- Fig. 3 is an enlarged, partial section on the line ments and has for its object the remedying of cer- 3 3 of Fig. 1; and tain defects in the standard construction of Fig. 4 is a detail of the anchorage for the overbalance wheel and hairsprings. coil on the line 4-4 of Fig. l. 5 In watches of the better and more expensive The parts illustrated show a usual or standard 5 types, it is usual to provide the hairspring with form of balance wheel and hairspring, it being what is known as an overcoil, that is to say, the understood that the invention may be incorpooutermost coil of the hairspring is brought up rated in any type of Watch movement. out of the plane of the main body of the hair- In the drawing, I is the lower plate of the spring to provide an overlying coil or turn of the movement and 2 the balance bridge between which l0 wire. This last or outer turn is attached at the is located, in the jeweled bearings, the balance point of anchorage on the balance bridge and is wheel 3. In the balance wheel is located the engaged by the regulator arm, the innermost turn usual coiled hairspring 5 which, in the form shown, being attached to the balance wheel. is provided with the overcoil 6 indicated by the Thistype of overcoilhairspring is also known as heavier line in Fig. 1. This overcoii lies above 15 the Breguet Spring from the name of the inthe plane of the main body of the hairspring, as ventor. It greatly improves the action of the in the standard Breguet spring, and is atwatch over the use of a plain coil hairspring, but tanned to the balance bridge by the post 8, as is more unstable laterally than a plain coiled shown in detail in Fig. 4.

halsprrlg. F01' thiS reason 2 WatCh With an The regulator is of the usual pivoted arm type 20 overcoil hairspring is more susceptible to jars or and is indicated ab in, having the two downblows which throw the hairspring laterally and Werdiy extending pins Il .ll which engage the C3115@ the OVGYCO t0 become engaged With the overcoil. It is these pins which frequently are main body of the spring. More frequently, the engaged by the nairspring if the Watch is jarred,

spring will become entangled With the pins on The means which are provided to maintain the 25 the Tgulato' ambody of the spring in its proper position and out It 1S the purpose 0f the mventon to provlde of contact with the overcoil and the regulator pins means whereby the tendency of the hairspring to s a guard in the ferm of the long bent pin |2, get out of its pmper position Wm be prevented which is preferably tapered and bent at an angle without in any Way affecting the operation of the at its upper end The Outer end of the guard pin 0 hairspring. Briefly described, the invention conis parallel to the body of the harspring aund Ssts in the provision of a Breguet hairsprmg lies between the overcoil and the main body. It overcoil guard which overlies the main body of s preferably extended outwardly so that it ap the hairspring and prevents it from being thrown proaches Closely to the inner rim of the balance agafinsf 21e Ogelo tkflrfeglnsnl wheel 3, but cannot Contact the Wheel. There is, 35 ple 1.36 em 0 u n o 6.1 l g. therefore, no danger of the Wheel striking the is a pin mounted at one end in the balance bridge Guard and extending down to a position just above the D h f rre embodiment, theu i ero-xed main body of the hairspring and then outwardly enlnOtf leril lzds formed Obliquelypt th main over the face of the main body to a point Just 40 lane of the pin so that it is set at an angle in the i p lof me mqer clrcumference of the ba ance socket I4 in the balance bridge. This facilitates the insertion of the pin in the balance bridge. It is possible to embody the invention in other forms and by specifically diierent arrangements, The Socket I4 1S pefel'fibly Sllghtly less in size that which is shown and described herein being than the uppfr 0r heavler end of the guard pm 45 the best known and preferred form of the inven- S0 that th? D111 may 'De permanently fastened 1n den and being Set forth so es' to enable these position with a drive t. This construction 1s not Skilled in the are to understand and employ the essential, but is the simplest and most convenient saigne, method of mounting the pin in the bridge. In the drawing in which the invention is illus.- It is obvious that some other location may be 50 trated as it has been perfected: selected for the guard pin and other means of Fig. 1 is a plan view of a balance Wheel, bridge Securing the Din in place be devised. The BS- and hairspring with the invention incorporated sential element of the invention is the provision therewith; of the separating or guarding means between the Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; main body of the Breguet overcoil hairspring 55 and the overcoil so as to prevent lateral displacement of the spring.

What is claimed is:

1. In a watch movement, the combination of a balance Wheel and a hairspring provided with a spaced overcoil, and a pin xed on the bridge and extending from a point radially inward of the rim of the balance Wheel, through the overcoil and projecting over the main body of the hairspring.

2. In a Watch movement, the combination of a balance Wheel and a hairspring provided with a spaced overcol, and a pin xed on the bridge and extending from a point radially inward of the rim of the balance Wheel, through the overcoil and projecting over the main body of the hairspring to a point adjacent the rim of the balance Wheel.

3. In a Watch movement, the combination of a balance wheel and bridge, of a hairspring provided wth a spaced overcoil, and a pin having an oblique terminus xed in the bridge and an extension parallel to and lying over the main body of the hairspring and between the hairspring and the overcoil.

4. In a watch movement, the combination of a balance Wheel and bridge, of a hairspring provided with a spaced overcoil, and a pin having an oblique terminus xed in the bridge and an extension parallel to and lying over the main body of the hairsprng and between the hairspring and the overcoil, the end of the pin projecting to a point adjacent the inner rim of the balance wheel.

JOHN E. BOWEN. 

